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Cell phone question

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bakedpow
Posts: 8770 - Karma: 10,467
Quick question about iphones.

so my buddy upgraded to an iphone 5 from a 4s. he was on verizon and i heard that after you go through an upgrade your old phone is locked so you cant use it again as a phone.

is this true? anyway around it?

thanks!
Dec 4 2012 7:06PM
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LoathesRaisins
Posts: 3612 - Karma: 4,735
Like reactivate it?
Dec 4 2012 7:08PM
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Phil-X-
Posts: 7205 - Karma: 14,402
No thats not true, your friend is lying cause he doesnt wanna give you his old iphone
Dec 4 2012 7:09PM
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Barefootin_Fiend
Posts: 7618 - Karma: 4,727
no, it's not true. you can use old phones as long as they are not reported stolen as then the esn/imei gets locked up in verizon's system.

example...my girl's uncle is currently using her incredible as she now has a s3.
Dec 4 2012 7:09PM
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bakedpow
Posts: 8770 - Karma: 10,467
except use it with a sim card service, like h2o mobile.

Dec 4 2012 7:09PM
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Barefootin_Fiend
Posts: 7618 - Karma: 4,727
you cannot take a phone that runs on a CDMA network (verizon) and activate it on a GSM network (att, tmobile, most that use sim cards)
Dec 4 2012 7:11PM
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LoathesRaisins
Posts: 3612 - Karma: 4,735
You'd have to get a phone made for that carrier.
Dec 4 2012 7:12PM
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bakedpow
Posts: 8770 - Karma: 10,467
isnt there a way to unlock it and switch from cdma to gsm?

sorry im completely new to smartphones haha.
Dec 4 2012 7:12PM
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Barefootin_Fiend
Posts: 7618 - Karma: 4,727
yes, you can unlock phones, but no, you can't change they type of service they operate on. for instance, i could take an at&t phone, get it unlocked, and activate it on t-mobile or any other gsm service provider because they run on the same type of signal. i cannot take, however, take that same unlocked phone to sprint or verizon as they run on CDMA technology...different tech, frequency, etc.
Dec 4 2012 7:16PM
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LoathesRaisins
Posts: 3612 - Karma: 4,735
So I could activate an HTC Evo on Verizon?
Dec 4 2012 7:18PM
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Barefootin_Fiend
Posts: 7618 - Karma: 4,727
theoretically, yes. realistically, probably not. cdma phones are a lot trickier to switch between networks than gsm phones. see with a gsm phone, the programming information is contained on the sim cards. your sim id is already programmed into the carrier's system and you just pop that sim in an unlocked phone and bam, you're in business. with cdma phones, the programming information is all within the phone iteself. since the evo didn't come from verizon, they don't have the msid programmed in their system. while it's possible to get this entered, it's hard to find someone competent enough to do it. so if you can find someone willing to put in the effort to get it working, yes, it is possible, but good luck finding someone with the access and knowledge to get this done. most likely they'll just tell you it's not possible.

holy wall of text.
Dec 4 2012 7:35PM
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LoathesRaisins
Posts: 3612 - Karma: 4,735
Hmm, interesting.
Dec 4 2012 7:39PM
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bakedpow
Posts: 8770 - Karma: 10,467
damn.

well thanks a bunch!

seems like thats just a ploy for them to make money/keep business.
Dec 4 2012 7:45PM
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Barefootin_Fiend
Posts: 7618 - Karma: 4,727
Yes and no. More so a ploy on the gsm side than the cdma side. Reason being they can't just give anyone and everyone that level of system programming privileges or else you'd have a lot of problems with phones not working, cloning, fraud, etc.
Dec 4 2012 8:39PM
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IanAvery-Leaf
Posts: 9933 - Karma: 9,432
I know this is right but unlike the 5, the 4s has both gsm and cdma radios built in, how come it can't swap?
Dec 5 2012 9:02AM
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Barefootin_Fiend
Posts: 7618 - Karma: 4,727
basically, because they're bogus....apparently the 5 is NOT like this though. The FCC required Verizon to ax this locking as a condition to acquire new spectrum.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-57495076-94/why-you-cant-take-your-unlocked-iphone-4s-to-another-u.s-carrier/


Dec 5 2012 10:02AM
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Barefootin_Fiend
Posts: 7618 - Karma: 4,727
i should note, even though the 5 would work on att, you wouldn't have access to LTE.

Dec 5 2012 10:07AM
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bakedpow
Posts: 8770 - Karma: 10,467
Ok so it sounds like if i want an iphone on a prepaid sim card plan I should buy one of ebay or something that is a gsm? correct?

Dec 5 2012 1:32PM
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Barefootin_Fiend
Posts: 7618 - Karma: 4,727
Yes, but it needs to be sim unlocked otherwise it won't work. Carriers often lock their phones to their sim cards so you can't buy a phone on discount, and then turn around and take it elsewhere. It's very important that it is not SIM locked!!!!
Dec 5 2012 1:34PM
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bakedpow
Posts: 8770 - Karma: 10,467
http://www.ebay.com/itm/IPhone-4S-Apple-unlocked-any-Sim-White-Good-condition-no-scratches-/181034922016?pt=Cell_Phones&hash=item2a2685b020

something like this?
Dec 5 2012 1:38PM
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Barefootin_Fiend
Posts: 7618 - Karma: 4,727
if it was originally purchased from apple, you shouldn't have any issues getting it to work on another gsm network. from my understanding, any iphone 4s purchased from verizon originally will NEVER work on another US GSM network even though it has the radios.

so yeah, something like that phone posted in that link SHOULD work.
Dec 5 2012 4:46PM
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IanAvery-Leaf
Posts: 9933 - Karma: 9,432
such bullshit from Verizon, artificially locking to make more money
Dec 5 2012 5:52PM
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